Fence-post.



riNrTnn s'rATns TATTNT ernten.

IVIAHLON E. SIMPSON .AND FRANK W. NEWTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, AND LOUIS E. NEWTON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

FENCE-POST.

Application filed October 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, MAHLON E. SIMPSON and FRANK 1V. NEWTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, and Louis F. NEWTON, a citizen of Our invention relates to an improvement' in fence posts, and has for its object to provide a post constructed of some metal, preferably steel, which will be -very durable and strong in use and of low production cost.

A further object is to provide such a post so constructed that when it is driven into the ground it will anchor itself firmly and be held from motion in any direction.

A further object is to provide a novel device for fastening the wire to the post.

A further object is to provide a method of constructing the posts so that the cost will be very low'and the time required very short.

It is a well recognized fact that a satisfactory fence post should .comprise the three essentials of durability, stability and low cost. It has been difficult in the past to combine these three essentials. Our invention combines them.

The full obj ects and advantages of our invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, villustrating the application of our invention in one form, Figure 1 is a front elevation of our invention showing it set in position. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modification of our device as it appears after having been cut out. Fig. 4t is a side view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the method of stamping out the posts from the I-beam material. Fig. 6 is a cross section of the modification.

The fence post of our invention is formed of an I-beam section 10 composed of a web 1l and side members 12 and 13. On side members 12 are formed a plurality of right angled slots 14 extending inward and downward from the edge of said side member. On side member 13 are formed a plurality of right angled slots 15 extending inward Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 797,434.

and upward from the edge of said side member. Slots 14C and 15 are enlarged at their inner end into circular apertures and are arranged in such a way that the ones On side member 12 are directly opposite the ones on side member 13. Side members 12 and 13 are severed from web l1 for some little distance from the bottom of the post into wings 16 and 17. These wings are so constructed that when the post is driven into the ground the wings will spread and serve to anchor the post from movement in any direction. The web 11 is preferably cut to leave a triangular portion 18 below the level of wings 16 and 17 to permit the easy entering of the post into the ground. lIhe top portion of the post comprises portions 19 and 20 cut away from web 11. As portion 18 of the preceding post has been taken away from the web there remain two small triangular portions 21 and 22. These portions 21 and 22 are bent at right angles to the web, one to one side and the other to the other, and portions 19 and 2O are bent over them. This forms a very rigid top piece for driving purposes.

Fig. 5 shows the relation between the top. of one post and the bottom of the neXt post in the process of manufacturing the same. It can easily be seen by this figure that only one operation is necessary in stamping o ut each post, the bottom and top being stamped out simultaneously. A. great saving in construction cost is effected by this means. Figs. 3, 4i and 6 show a modification of this post which tends to make its construction cheaper. It is well known that the price of I-beam material is figured on its weight. By means of this modification the weight of the I-beam material is much reduced without any material lessening of the strength of the post. The modification consists in rolling the I-beam material in such a way that the edges and centers of the flanges and the center of the web are constructed thicker than in the ordinary I-beam and the material in other parts of the post is much thinner. This permits a lighter weight post to be used without a reduction of its stability or durability.

In the utilization of our invention, posts are cut from a section of I-beam preferably by means of a specially designed machine which stamps out the bottom of one post and the top of another. The slots are cut in the side members and the top bent over. lIt is only necessary then to drive the posts into the ground to the depth required, the Wings on the bottom of the post spreading out as the post goes down, thus securely an choring same against movement in any direction. The placing of the Wire on the post is very easily done. Fig. 1 shows the method in detail. The Wire is placed in one slot and pushed up to the enlargement and into the other slot and pushed down to the enlargement. In this Way the wire is held so it can not be torn loose from the post and yet can be easily taken ofl' when necessary.

Our invention makes possible the Wide use of' steel posts in fence construction. In the past the cost ofl such a posthas been prohibitive and its anchorage inadequate. The durability of steel in fence construction has never been doubted. By the use of' our device all three necessary elements of a satisfactory post are present. The post is practically indestructible, has a rigid anchorage, and the cost of making the same is low. In addition to all these features a considerable economy of time and money is effected by our novel method of fastening the Wire to the post, which dispenses With the necessity of staples or similar Wire fasteners.

l/Ve claim:

l. A fence post formed of a steel I-beam having a pointed end and a hammering head, said head comprising tWo tongues of the web cut free from the flanges and turned in opposite directions at right angles to the plane of the Web, and two portions of the anges cut from said tongues turned down and upon the said tongues so as to meet at substantially the center of the Web.

2. A fence post having a body of I-shaped cross-section, and a pointed end adapting it to be driven into the ground, the upper portions of the flanges of said post being bent over the Web to form a driving head for said post.

3. A fence post formed out of I-beam stock Without Waste of material comprising a pointed end having a V-shaped web cut out of the top of the Web portion of the succeeding post with theV flange portion ofsaid pointed end severed from the web, and a hammering head formed by severing the portions of' the Web at the opposite end of the post from the flange, bending them at right angles to the web and in opposite directions to each other and turning the end portions of the ianges down upon said bentover Web portions.

4. A fence post formed of a steel I-beam having a pointed end and a hammering head, said head comprising a pair ofl tongues formed on the web by cutting a V- shaped -notch 1n the Web and severing the Web from the flanges, said tongues being bent in opposite directions at right angles to the plane of the Web, and tWo portions yof the anges severed from the Webs and turned down upon said tongues so as to meet substantially at the center of the Web.

In testimony whereof We afliX our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

MAHLON E. SIMPSON. FRANK W. NEWTON. LOUIS F. NEWTON.

Witnesses:

F. A. W'HITELEY, H. A. BOWMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

